11 Days and Counting

Time is a tickin....11 days and counting and the excitement of this nearing adventure is finally starting to sink in. For the last month or so, I've upted the ante on my workout regimen to 5days a week, 1 day hike, and 1 day of rest. I suppose every individual's training regimen should be custom tailored to their capabilities, but I can get bored easily with routines so I've included stair climbing, rowing, and jump roping for my cardio capacity building. I also began incorporating carrying my backpack with 10-15 lbs gym weights as I'm walking on the treadmill at increasing longer intervals. The objective is to train my back, shoulder and hip muscles to grow accustomed to the weight of my backpack. This increase flexibility, strength, and aerobic capacity will help buffer the stress caused by the continuous stress at the increasing high altitude. The challenge is not so much the weight of the pack (which by the way I'll have to structure my packing to accommodate the least amount of weight) but the endurance of continuously lugging a 30-40lbs pack over 5 continuous days at increasing altitude. The continuous stress on the joints and the muscles is as much of a concern as the potential for altitude sickness.

In addition to the daily exercise regimen, I've structured my daily meals to maximize my training results. Increasing proteins-eggs, beans, poultry, and tons of fish (I love fish, so this has been my excuse to indulge in sushi!); loading on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I've cut off my alcohol intake and incorporated vitamin and mineral supplements for my mineral and macro-nutrient requirement. I of course have to lay off the cookies, pastries, and other Starbucks goodies (sorry no more maple oat scone). Some people prefer to indulge but in smaller quantities and that is fine, I simply prefer to just cut it out cold turkey.

Speaking of food...time to eat.

Recommended Reading:
Musnick, David, M.D ad Mark Pierce, ATC. Conditioning For Outdoor Fitness, 2d ed. Seattle, 2004